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Top 5 Living Directors Cillian Murphy Should Work With

October 2007

• Mistress Kizuna |
• Melty_Girl |
• Lexi |
• Claudia |
• Lilith |
• Marina |
• QuietOne |
• Bonnie |
• JT

Mistress Kizuna's List

• #5. Tim Burton

  This could be considered an odd choice, but Tim Burton's films are anything but boring whenever you watch them. They're so full of atmosphere with exciting storylines to match. Cillian's great acting and ethereal presence would add a whole new depth to those kinds of films.

• #4. Michel Gondry

  Cillian's mentioned in an interview that he'd want to work with Gondry one day and Cillian was definitely correct in calling the man "a visionary." Gondry's films are so unique and mesmerizing, with a weird way of making the lines between reality and fantasy blurred, but with a beauty that can't really be described. I sometimes even wonder if Cillian's even real, and a surreal experience as a Michel Gondry movie would just go well with him.

• #3. Quentin Tarantino

  As I've said once before, I will rejoice the day Cillian does a movie with Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino's films, for all their gore, cursing and violence, are enjoyable and just tell you to sit back and enjoy the ride. Cillian would more than fit in with Tarantino's way of story telling, whether it includes crazy shoot-outs, sword fights, or drug smuggling.

• #2. Takashi Miike

  When I think of Asian horror cinema, Takashi Miike is one of the first people to pop up in my mind, and for good reason. If you've seen any of his films (like Audition, Gozu, City of Lost Souls, or Ichi the Killer), you'll know that Takashi's not one to be afraid to push the envelope on giving you the scariest mental head trip of your life. His films are beautifully made, albeit in a really sick, morbid, nauseating, not-meant-for-people-with-weak-stomachs kind of way. And that fearlessness in filmmaking is a breath of fresh air that I'm pretty sure Cillian would find exciting and something that he would fit right in with.

• #1. Martin Scorsese

  This is an obvious choice, isn't it? Scorsese's incredible at story telling and the characters in his films are just so deep and interesting, made all the greater by his way of great casting. Cillian would be absolutely perfect in a film that deals with redemption, guilt, crime, and violence with a deep story that shakes one to the core. And isn't that the kind of movie that Cillian goes for?

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Melty_Girl's List

• #5. Lisa Cholodenko

  American director Cholodenko made two of my favorite films, High Art and Laurel Canyon, and has directed great episodes of some of my favorite TV shows, Six Feet Under, Homicide: Life on the Street, and The L Word. Laurel Canyon was an intimate ensemble mood piece, with meaty, complex parts for both men and women, and I'd love to see what she'd do with Cillian in a sexually charged drama.

• #4. Mike Leigh

  This English director first grabbed my attention with Life Is Sweet, and I later fell in love with Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake. Leigh is often compared to Ken Loach for focusing on average people, shooting films in sequence, and keeping actors in the dark about how the story will turn out. But Leigh involves actors even more in the process of creating the script, and workshops and improvises extensively before shooting. I bet Cillian would respond really well to Leigh's process.

• #3. Alejandro González Iñárritu

  Iñárritu's Mexican film Amores perros absolutely bowled me over—his non-linear approach is riveting. 21 Grams was perhaps a bit too wrenching, but still amazing (I haven't yet seen Babel), and I'd love to see what Cillian would do with the kind of emotionally combustible material that Iñarritu favors.

• #2. Ang Lee

  Taiwanese director Lee has a rare ability to capture so many different worlds authentically, beautifully, and movingly. From Brokeback Mountain to The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Sense and Sensibility, Lee can do anything and does it all magnificently. Cillian deserves to work with the best directors, and Lee is certainly one of them—and the role could really be anything, since both of them are so versatile.

• #1. Michel Gondry

  This French director's astonishing visual style, and his unique combination of dark emotions and quirky humor are just enchanting. Both The Science of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, not to mention his many great music videos, populate fantastical landscapes with characters filled with insecurity, neediness, obsession, and other human foibles. I would love to see what new things Cillian would do once he'd gone through the Gondry looking glass.

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Lexi's List

• #5. Sofia Coppola

  Director of Marie Antoinette, Lost In Translation, and Virgin Suicides. Following in her dad's big footsteps, she has an inspired eye and makes all her films look tragic and beautiful. Cillian would certainly make her next film look even more stunning. A gorgeous film with a VERY gorgeous leading man.

• #4. Robert Rodriguez

  Director of movies like Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Sin City, Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn. They both play guitar. They both love grungy rock. It's a match. And it's about time someone makes Cillian a cowboy—I think Robert Rodriguez is the man to do it.

• #3. Baz Luhrmann

  Director of Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, Strictly Ballroom. First of all, this guy gets the thumbs up because he's an Aussie! Cillian should work with an Australian director like Baz. And as you can tell from his work, he sure can make a mean love story. More romantic leads for Cillian—YAY!

• #2. Quentin Tarantino

  Director of movies such as Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, Grindhouse: Death Proof. Sick and twisted. Edgy and cool. Tarantino movies have some great action scenes, especially car chases. He's quite different from Cillian but I know they would make a kickass duo.

• #1. Tim Burton

  Director of Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare Before Christmas, Planet Of The Apes, and so many more. One of my all-time favourites, this has got to be the one for Cillian. Tim Burton casts such a dark magical presence over all his movies, which are sweet and beautiful. I would love to see Cillian work with Burton. Can you imagine him as the the sweet, dark outcast? *squee*

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Claudia's List

• #5. Sofia Coppola

  The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation demonstrate powerful directing, with engaging and heartfelt stories of characters who find themselves trapped in the fantasy of this incredibly talented writer/director. She creates a beautiful and dreamy atmosphere in all her films. And I know they're mostly centered in female characters, but if it were a little like Lost in Translation (her best work so far, in my opinion), maybe the heroine coud meet a charismatic and intense hero and get lost together in their quest. I think Cillian could be that hero.

• #4. Quentin Tarantino

  Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and Kill Bill: those are my reasons. These films belong to a different genre ... the Tarantino genre. Completely savage, yet awfully brilliant. Intricately structured scripts that cleverly mix black comedy and crime drama. Plus, he effortlessly gets you to have sympathy for completely dysfunctional criminals. Do I see Cillian as one of them? Yeah, I do. I just hope that if it ever happens, it will be a great script like in Tarantino's older days, not like Death Proof.

• #3. Woody Allen

  The films, the stories, the characters he's created ... the list is too long to print here. The uniqueness of his style is legendary. Woody Allen's biting one-liners and dialogue and the exceptional performances that he gets out of his cast are remarkable. I know most of his great films are not too recent, but Matchpoint gave me back my faith in this man. (I also think Cillian would have been better as Chris than Jonathan Rhys Meyers, but that's another story...)

• #2. Martin Scorsese

  Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed, Cape Fear, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull ... these are some of my favorite movies and yeah, Marty is the guy behind them. A true genius of cinema. There is such a a uniqueness in his films—besides the criminal elements, I think it is the way they are singularly character-driven. I can totally see Cillian playing one of Scorsese's dark characters—now that would be a perfect Scorsese film. Just one thing though: no Leo, please! I've just had my fill of Scorsese movies starring Leo. (Maybe he's the reason I did not pick Marty as my number one choice.)

• #1. Clint Eastwood

  Simply put: his whole directorial career is worth checking out. He's made the movies he feels like making, and completely commits to them. The result is an amazingly varied body of work that includes some of the best movies in the last twenty years: Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima. I love how he explores the dilemma of individuals trying to be true to themselves while surviving in an unforgiving world, and the way he gets you to connect with the characters. Cillian would do great work under his direction, and if that ever happens, I think it would be awesome to see them onscreen together as well, for Mr. Eastwood is not just a remarkable director but a pretty brilliant actor too.

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Lilith's List

• #5. Sarah Polley

  Although relatively new to the director's chair, this veteran actress has an impeccable eye for the most subtle details. Cillian is a subtle actor, conveying a wealth of feeling with a single look. I think they'd be a winning combination.

• #4. John Sayles

  Sayles is the best storyteller around, in my opinion, and he creates the kind of characters you remember long after leaving the theatre. Not only that, but his films are smart and politically aware and I think he and Cillian would find a real affinity ... and make a fine film.

• #3. Atom Egoyan

  In the first moments of 28 Days Later..., as Jim stumbled around a deserted London, I could have sworn I was watching an Egoyan film. Unlike Danny Boyle, though, Egoyan's dystopias aren't future apocalypses but ones we stumble into every day. I think with Cillian he could show us the crumbling world around us in a very powerful way.

• #2. Michael Winterbottom

  One of the most innovative directors, Winterbottom's post-modern approach has made him one of my very favourites. With films like 24 Hour Party People and A Cock and Bull Story (Tristram Shandy), he strains the credibility of every story and challenges the intelligent viewer to push back to bring it all back into alignment. I think Cillian would be well-suited for this kind of intellectual challenge and bring the everyman perspective that could perfectly tie a Winterbottom venture together.

• #1. Joss Whedon

  This thought is just a guilty pleasure, but I can guarantee I'd see anything (several times) that brought Cillian and Joss together. Especially if it involved vampires or a space western!

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Marina's List

• #5. Clint Eastwood

  I chose Eastwood to fulfill Cillian's wish to star in a western. Eastwood is well known for his wonderful performances as a cowboy, and with Eastwood as the director of a cowboy film with Cillian Murphy as the star, this pair couldn't lose. I am reminded of Cillian's performance in The Way We We Live Now, when he was building the railroad in North America, all duded up like a cowboy, and my heart goes pitter-patter! I just know Clint Eastwood could come up with the perfect screenplay for Cillian to become the cowboy he dreams of, marking yet another genre that he would make his own, as he has all others in which he has starred.

• #4. Steven Spielberg

  While many of Spielberg's films may not fit the Cillian profile, Spielberg is one of the finest directors ever to hit film, and as Cillian Murphy is one of the finest actors ever to hit film, this duo attracts me like flies to sugar. With Cillian at his side, I can't even begin to imagine what a Spielberg film might do ... break all time records of theater sales in the world, I would imagine. This would truly be the dynamic duo.

• #3. David Cronenberg

  Can't you just see Cillian as The Fly? What an amazing job he would have done, and added a realism and likability to the character that Jeff Goldblum just didn't pull off. Can't you just see those big blue eyes as a fly's eyes? And how about The Dead Zone? Cillian as Smith, who awakes from a coma and has the ability of seeing the future, ending tragically after fighting to save the country from a political candidate that will destroy the world. Cillian would have been excellent working with Cronenberg's style of horror/science fiction movies, which have the feel of independent films. Cronenberg has the ability to turn his protagonists into the true heros they should become, the embodiment of Cillian Murphy himself.

• #2. Ethan and Joel Coen

  There is nothing I would have loved to have seen more than Cillian Murphy in The Hudsucker Proxy. His uncanny ability to draw an audience into a film would have made him perfect for the Tim Robbins role of Norville, as he bumbles his way through getting a job, becomes the unsuspecting president of Hudsucker Industries, and finally triumphs in the end. The Coen brothers have made great film after film, and I think Cillian would flourish in North America under their fine tutelage.

• #1. Steven Soderbergh

  Soderbergh has the mind of an independent director, but he is very well respected in Hollywood. His films include Solaris, which many have compared in some ways to Sunshine, Cillian's most recently released film. In Clooney's part as Kelvin, Cillian would have shone brightly as he struggled to make sense of what he found on Solaris and his encounter with his dead wife's replication. His sensitivity and gallantry would have added a dimension that the film, with Clooney in the lead, missed its mark on. In turn, Soderbergh makes the kind of films that are appealing to actors who prefer the indy circuit, while having the ability to make Cillian the household name we know he should be.

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QuietOne's List

• #5. David Lynch

  I love David Lynch's movies: Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, etc. Wouldn't it be great to see Cillian in something as strangely off-beat as a David Lynch film?

• #4. Won Kar Wai

  Won Kar Wai's 2046 and In the Mood for Love are personal favorites of mine. A movie such as these would make great use of amazing Cillian's ability to express so much with just a facial expression, and I'm sure there would be many long and dreamy close-ups of Cillian.

• #3. Neil Jordan

  Although Cillian has also previously worked with Neil Jordan, I would love to see them team up together again. I just can't figure out how Cillian wasn't in The Butcher Boy—he would've been great.

• #2. Takashi Miike

  I'm not sure if Cillian would consider doing another horror film, but after seeing Ichi the Killer and Audition, I think he would be wonderful in a film where the suspense is just as horrifying as the gore itself, like the above movies.

• #1. Danny Boyle

  28 Days Later..., Sunshine ... what can I say? Danny Boyle and Cillian are the dream team, in my opinion.

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Bonnie's List

• #5. George Lucas

  Star Wars anyone? Cillian loves science fiction. I could see Cillian playing Anakin Skywalker opposite Natalie Portman as Queen Amadala, and he would have been truly romantic, rather than the wooden portrayal Hayden Christiansen gave in this film.

• #4. Francis Ford Coppola

  Cillian idolizes Al Pacino, and would love to work with him. I could see him in the role as Fredo, the tragic younger brother, or possibly as Carlo Rizzi, Connie's abusive first husband in The Godfather.

• #3. Woody Allen

  Woody is starting to use Scarlett Johanssen, who worked with Cillian in Girl with a Pearl Earring. Cillian could be the straight man in one of Woody's quirky dramadies, as he was in Watching the Detectives.

• #2. Steven Spielberg

  Cillian would have been great in Catch Me if You Can as Frank Abagnale, the imposter, with his versatility with accents and personality types, or in the Richard Dreyfuss role in Close Encounters of the Third Kind as the sensitive father and husband who is driven to build mountains out of dirt.

• #1. Nora Ephron

  Ephron is the director of You've Got Mail and my favorite romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally. She would be very skillful at casting Cillian in a romantic role as the sensitive man.

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JT's List

• #5. Judd Apatow

  Just for fun, I have to add Judd Apatow to my list! His movies—which include The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up—are hilarious, and the dialogue in his movies is quite witty, too. Looking past all that raunchy humor though, there’s an underlying endearing quality to his characters. He's a genius when it comes to comedy, and if Cillian ever decides to go the comedic route, they'd make an excellent team.

• #4. Neil Marshall

  I was completely blown away by Neil Marshall's 2005 horror movie, The Descent. Most horror movies nowadays rely on gore, gore, and more gore, and it just gets old. The Descent definitely had the gore factor, but it was scarier in other ways, too. The way the movie was filmed really added to the claustrophobia and psychological terror and gave it a realistic feel. The actresses in the movie looked like they were worked really hard, and I think Cillian would be up for those types of physical challenges. If he were to ever do another horror movie, Neil Marshall is the man.

• #3. Steven Spielberg

  Steven Spielberg is known for his action adventure movies like Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park. It’s probably something Cillian wouldn’t really go for. In the mix of all that though, he's also directed some pretty powerful movies like Schindler’s List, Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, and Munich. I would love to see Cillian in one of Spielberg’s deeper movies. I think he'd be incredible, and with the "big budget blockbuster movie" attachment to Spielberg’s name, Cillian would get even more of the exposure he deserves.

• #2. Ang Lee

  Ang Lee is a brilliant, multifaceted director. From movies like Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Brokeback Mountain, we can see that he really has a wide range in the subject matters of his films. He can tackle anything and produce a great finished product—just like Cillian. They would be a terrific match.

• #1. Joe Wright

  Although he is very young and very new to movie directing, he is obviously very talented. His 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was absolutely stunning visually, and his lead stars, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, were at their best ever (in my opinion) in the roles. I have yet to see Atonement, but I can already tell that it will be great. Atonement is based on the novel by my favorite author ever, Ian McEwan. It would be a dream come true for me to see Cillian in a movie based on Ian McEwan's latest novel, On Chesil Beach, and directed by Joe Wright. Cillian would be perfect as the novel's main character, Edward, and Rachel McAdams would be perfect opposite him as Florence. With Joe Wright’s directorial skills, it would be a really great romantic drama.

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